Google’s hosting a press conference tomorrow to unveil some “cool new mobile features,” so we made a list of the items we’d like to get updates on. Actually, we only care about one: Android Market.
There’s no evidence that this is what they will talk about, and whatever they do announce is likely to be minimal given that they used the word “small” to describe the event. But the timing is right for a much-needed update to Android’s app store. UPDATE: No such luck. Today, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) announced a new voice recognition feature, called Voice Actions.
Over the past week, it has been painfully obvious how far and fast Google has been able to get Android in the hands of consumers. It is now activating 200,000 phones a day, and it has roughly 70,000 applications in the market. If Google wants to compete against Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and all the other platforms and carriers working on building storefronts over the months to come, now is the time for the company to create a healthy and active ecosystem for Android applications.
As it is, the environment is far from perfect, making it difficult for developers to get a return on their investment, and leaving Android users less than satisfied.
A few points worth noting:
— The Android Market is available in roughly 46 countries, but paid apps are only offered in something like 13 (Canada has only had access to paid apps since March 2010).
— Pricing is all screwy and are not displayed in the user

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